Abortion

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further action they intend to take regarding cases of sex-selection abortions, following the findings of the Care Quality Commission inspection reports on 249 abortion providers. [HL1625]

Earl Howe: Inspections carried out by the Care Quality Commission focused on the extent of pre-signing of HSA1 forms by certifying doctors. We await the outcome of police investigations into allegations of sex-selection abortions.
Resolution 1829 (2011) from the Council of Europe called upon member states to collect various data on sex selection and implement a number of other measures. We are currently considering what research and data are available that might help us better explore this issue.

Air Quality

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the occupational exposure limits for tri-cresylphosphate (TCP) ortho-isomers apply to tri-orthocresylphosphate (TOCP) alone or whether they apply also to the other isomers, mono-orthocresylphosphate (MOCO) and di-orthocresylphosphate (DOCP) . [HL1746]

Lord Freud: Workplace exposure limits (WELs) are British occupational exposure limits set to help protect the health of workers. There is a WEL for tri-cresylphosphate (TCP) of 0.1 mg/m3 long term exposure limit and 0.3mg/m3 short term exposure limit.
Mono-orthocresylphosphate (MOCO) and di-orthocresylphosphate (DOCP) do not have WELs. The WEL for tri-cresylphosphate (TCP) does not apply to them.

Armed Forces: Commonwealth Citizens

Lord Craig of Radley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy for dealing with applications by Commonwealth citizens who have served in units of the British armed forces to remain permanently in the United Kingdom when they leave the armed services. [HL1923]

Lord Henley: Foreign and Commonwealth citizens who have served in HM Forces can apply for settlement under paragraph 2760 of the Immigration Rules. The relevant criteria of these Rules include that the applicant must have completed four years of service with HM Forces, made his/her settlement application within two years of discharge from the British military and have no unspent conviction on the date of application. Foreign and Commonwealth citizens who are members of HM Forces are able to apply for settlement in the UK up to 10 weeks before their discharge. Special processes are in place for those service personnel who are being made redundant from HM Forces to enable their settlement applications to be dealt with on an accelerated basis.
Further details on the relevant qualifying criteria and processes applicable to foreign and Commonwealth members of HM Forces who wish to apply for settlement upon discharge can be found in Chapter 15, Section 2A of the Immigration Directorate Instructions. This can be accessed via the UK Border Agency website using the following link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/IDIs/idischapterl5/.
Foreign and Commonwealth personnel who have completed a period of at least five years’ continuous service also have the option of applying to naturalise as a British citizen. In order to succeed they will need to meet the requirements of Section 6 of the British Nationality Act 1981. These include completion of the relevant residence period and satisfaction of the good character requirement.
Information on naturalisation can be found in Chapter 18 of the British Nationality Act 1981-Caseworking Instructions (Volume 1). This can be accessed via the following link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/guidance/nationalityinstructions/nivol1/.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial, health and social support is available to asylum seekers; and whether they have plans to reform the current system. [HL1844]

Lord Henley: Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are supported by the UK Border Agency under Section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 until their asylum claims are decided.
Accommodation is provided to destitute asylum seekers and dependants and financial support given to meet their essential living needs. The table below sets out the weekly rates available to the categories of dependants that may be supported.



LEVELS OF CASH SUPPORT FROM 18 APRIL 2011




SINGLE PERSON


�




Aged 18 or over (excluding lone parent)


36.62




Aged 25 years or over (excluding lone parent), where the decision to provide cash support was made before 5 October 2009 and the person reached age 25 prior to that date.


42.62




QUALIFYING COUPLES







Both 18 years or over


72.52




LONE PARENT AGE 18 OR OVER







Age 18 or over


43.94




PERSONAL ALLOWANCE FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN















Person aged under 16


52.96




Person aged 16 but under 18 (except where the person is a member of a Qualifying Couple)


39.80


In addition, asylum seekers who have young children aged between one and three years are eligible to receive an extra �3 per week per a child. Children aged less than one year attract an extra �5 per week per a child. Asylum seekers can also apply for a one-off maternity payment of �300 to help with the costs arising from the birth of a child.
The contractual arrangements with accommodation suppliers and voluntary sector partners also provide for information briefings on the rights and responsibilities of the asylum seekers whilst they are in the United Kingdom and practical advice on how they can access health care and legal assistance to pursue their asylum claims.
Asylum seekers are entitled to access NHS care without charge while their claim or appeal is being considered.
There are no plans to reform the current system.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial, health and social support is available to asylum seekers whose applications have been refused; and whether they have plans to reform the current system. [HL1845]

Lord Henley: Failed asylum seekers may supported by the UK Border Agency under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. In order to be granted support, they need to show that they are destitute and can satisfy one or more of the conditions set out in Regulation 3(2) of the Immigration and Asylum (Provision of Accommodation to Failed Asylum-Seekers) Regulations 2005.
Failed asylum seekers in receipt of Section 4 support will continue to receive it until the barrier to leaving the UK, upon which their support relies, is resolved. The support provided under section four consists of self-catering accommodation, plus a weekly allowance for the purchase of food and other essential items. In exceptional cases, full-board accommodation may be provided, depending on availability. The UK Border Agency is explicitly prevented by legislation from providing Section 4 support in the form of cash and therefore the weekly allowance is provided via the Azure payment card. The weekly allowance is set at a flat rate to reflect the temporary nature of the support and is currently set at �35.39 per person per week.
Whilst not entitled to access to NHS care without charge, failed asylum seekers may apply for assistance with health costs under the NHS Low Income Scheme, using an HC1 form.
There are no plans to reform the current system.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will grant asylum seekers permission to work if their applications remain undetermined after six months. [HL1846]

Lord Henley: The Government believe that it is important to maintain a distinction between economic migration and asylum. For this reason, an asylum applicant’s claim needs to have been outstanding for at least one year before they can apply for permission to work. This is in line with our obligations under the EU Reception Conditions Directive.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will grant asylum seekers permission to work if their applications have been refused but they cannot be returned to their country of origin. [HL1847]

Lord Henley: The Government believe that it is important to maintain a distinction between economic migration and asylum. Therefore there are currently no plans to allow failed asylum seekers who have exhausted their appeal rights to take up employment. Those who the courts have ruled have no right to remain in the UK should return home.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many asylum applications remained undecided at the end of (1) 2009, (2) 2010, (3) 2011, and (4) at present. [HL1848]

Lord Henley: The number of asylum applications pending an initial decision is published on an annual and quarterly basis. Latest figures are available in Table as.01 and as.01.q of the release Immigration Statistics, January to March 2012, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q1-2012/.
The number of applications pending an initial decision in 2010 was 11,623 and in 2011 was 11,297. Latest available figures for the first quarter of 2012 show that the number of applications awaiting initial decision was 11,454.
The number of applications awaiting an initial decision prior to 2010 has previously been published but is not available on a comparable basis following a change to the method by which these figures are produced.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many asylum age dispute cases are currently awaiting determination. [HL1895]

Lord Henley: The data requested are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, or produced as part of the UK Border Agency’s standard reports. However, the UK Border Agency publishes immigration statistics including age disputed asylum applications annually and quarterly, which are available from the Home Office Research and Statistics website. The figures show the number of age disputed asylum applications by nationality. These can be found in the Library of the House, as well as the following website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-tabs-q1-2012/asylum4-q1-2012-tabs.

Asylum Seekers: Children

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many child asylum seekers have been erroneously detained as adults in the last five years. [HL1894]

Lord Henley: The number of child asylum seekers who have been erroneously detained as adults in the last five years cannot be determined without examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
Age dispute asylum applicants will only be considered for detention in the following circumstances:
there is credible and clear documentary evidence that they are 18 years of age or over;
a full "Merton-compliant" age assessment by a local authority has been carried out and is available stating that they are 18 years of age or over. 
their physical appearance/demeanour very strongly suggests that they are significantly over 18 years of age and no other credible evidence exists to the contrary.
All other age dispute applicants are not detained. They are treated as children until a full age assessment has been conducted by a local authority and all available evidence has been duly considered.

Atos Healthcare

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the annual turnover of (1) general practitioners, (2) nurses, and (3) physiotherapists, employed by Atos Healthcare to undertake the work capability assessment for each of the past five years. [HL1905]

Lord Freud: Data on the annual turnover of Atos Healthcare professionals (general practitioners, nurses and physiotherapists) are commercial in confidence. They cannot be released as release of the information would prejudice the interests of Atos Healthcare and the department's future dealings with Atos Healthcare or other service providers.

Aviation: Passenger Duty

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the annual value of air passenger duty is (1) refunded to non-fliers who claim it back, and (2) retained by airlines, where non-fliers do not claim it back. [HL1830]

Lord Sassoon: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave him on 7 March (Official Report, 7/3/12; col. WA 417).

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 4 July (WA 174), whether they have an identical diplomatic approach to those imprisoned for expressing their beliefs in Bahrain; and, if not, what are the differences. [HL1647]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s policy is guided by the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and we are committed to taking action to protect and support human rights defenders under European Union guidelines.
We welcomed the decision by the Bahraini Public Prosecutor in December 2011 to drop all charges relating to freedom of expression relating to last year's unrest, as recommended by the Independent Commission of Inquiry.
We have made it clear to the Government of Bahrain that they should meet their international human rights obligations, by ensuring their citizens can exercise the universal human rights and freedoms to which they are entitled. This includes the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression. We also expect those exercising those rights to do so peacefully at all times and in accordance with the United Nations declaration and international human rights law.

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made, or intend to make, representations to the Government of Bahrain about the recent shooting there of the Shia cleric Ali Salman. [HL1648]

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware of clashes between protestors and security forces on 22 June, during which Sheikh Ali Salman sustained injuries. We have not made representations about this incident, but we continue to urge the authorities to ensure restraint is exercised at all times; we also expect demonstrators to act within the rule of law and stage legal rallies. We have consistently made it clear that violence is unacceptable and hinders any efforts towards reconciliation.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt) met Sheikh Ali Salman last week to discuss the situation in Bahrain and ongoing human rights concerns.

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made since the beginning of 2012 of whether Saudi Arabian security forces are involved in front-line activities in Bahrain. [HL1649]

Lord Howell of Guildford: We believe that there are a small number of Gulf Co-operation troops currently stationed in Bahrain to safeguard Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) base facilities. The intervention by GCC forces in 2011 came at the invitation of the Bahraini Government. To date, we have seen no evidence that GCC forces have done anything other than safeguard installations, which was also the conclusion of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry.

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 18 July (WA 56-7), whether the "political street violence" referred to in the answer refers to violence by demonstrators or by security forces or by both. [HL2005]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The reference to "political street violence" in my previous Answer [Official Report, 18/7/12; cols. WA 56-57] refers to a small proportion of demonstrators. As I said in my previous Answer, legitimate and peaceful demonstrations are an integral part of any democratic society. But a minority of demonstrators in Bahrain continue to act outside the rule of law by taking part in illegal demonstrations and are engaged in violent acts, including the use of Molotov cocktails, high-powered darts and basic improvised explosive devices. This is unacceptable. We continue to urge the security forces to exercise restraint and regularly make clear to the Bahraini Government that the human rights of all citizens in Bahrain must be respected. We urge all sides to act within the law at all times.

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 18 July [WA 56-7], by when they expect full implementation of the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry. [HL2006]

Lord Howell of Guildford: It is not for the UK to set a deadline for full implementation of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI). Reform is an evolving process. What is of utmost importance is that the reforms implemented are effective and make a difference to the situation on the ground. It will also take time for behaviours and attitudes to change. We believe progress has been made in a number of areas. But we continue to urge the authorities to keep up the momentum and implement reforms that go beyond what is recommended by the BICI.

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 16 July [WA 1), whether, since May 2010, they have raised the medical welfare of any individual named disabled prisoner in Bahrain. [HL2007]

Lord Howell of Guildford: Our ambassador and members of staff from our embassy in Bahrain have frequently raised the medical welfare of prisoners, including disabled prisoners, with the Bahraini authorities. We continue to make clear that we expect the provision of medical welfare to be guaranteed for all prisoners in Bahrain; we have focused on this rather than on specific individual cases.

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 7 July [WA 22], what representations they have made to the Government of Bahrain regarding specific universal rights and freedoms of citizens for which they believe Bahrain does not meet its international obligations to ensure citizens receive these rights. [HL2009]

Lord Howell of Guildford: We continue to make representations to the Government of Bahrain regarding specific human rights concerns that we have. This has, for example, included the mistreatment of detainees which, as the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report concluded, is an issue of serious concern. During the visit of the Bahraini Justice Minister earlier this month, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt) also raised the importance of the authorities respecting the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

Bankruptcy

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a person who (1) is subject to an undischarged bankruptcy, or (2) is a director of a company subject to an undischarged bankruptcy, is eligible to chair or serve on a police authority; and whether the membership of North Yorkshire Police Authority is consistent with the rules on bankruptcy. [HL1639]

Lord Henley: A person subject to a bankruptcy order, or whose estate has been sequestered, is disqualified from being a member of a police authority until or unless the bankruptcy order is annulled or the sequestration of the estate is recalled or reduced. A person is also disqualified if he or she is subject to a disqualification order or disqualification undertaking under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1989(2), the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002(3) or the Insolvency Act 1986(4). There are no specific disqualification requirements for chairs of police authorities. The Government are not in a position to comment on individual cases.

Barbara Hofschroer

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the case of Mrs Hofschroer was first referred to the Home Office; what are the reasons for the delay in the resolution of the matter; and when they expect the issue to be concluded. [HL1638]

Lord Henley: The Home Office has received correspondence relating to this case since 2009. Resolution of the case is an operational matter for North Yorkshire Police. The Home Office can play no role in police complaints cases beyond that set out in the Police Reform Act 2002. I can therefore give no indication of when the issue is likely to be concluded.

Billy Rautenbach

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether in 2009 they granted a licence allowing the release of funds to Billy Rautenbach, or any entity linked with that individual, when he was on the European Union sanctions list for his alleged links with the Government of Robert Mugabe; and, if so, why. [HL1851]

Lord Sassoon: Conrad Muller Rautenbach was designated under EU Regulation 314/2004 on 27 January 2009 and delisted on 23 February 2012. All EU financial sanctions regulations include grounds under which licences can be issued authorising payments or actions otherwise prohibited. The Treasury considers all licence applications on a case-by-case basis against the licensing grounds of the relevant regulation and the purpose of the sanctions. Article 7 of EU Regulation 314/2004 sets out the grounds under which Member States can consider issuing a licence in respect of the Zimbabwe Regulation. However, for reasons of personal confidentiality, I regret that the Treasury is not able either to confirm or deny the information requested about named individuals.

British Citizenship

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the UK Border Agency has taken a year to consider and deal with an application for naturalisation as a British citizen by the film maker N. Howard-Moore. [HL1837]

Lord Henley: The UK Border Agency does not comment on individual cases. To do so without the express permission of the individual involved would risk breaching the agency’s data protection obligations.

British Citizenship

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance will be given to those preparing for the Life in the UK test. [HL1897]

Lord Henley: The Life in the UK test is based on the official handbook Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship. A new edition of the handbook is being finalised with the aim of publishing it in the autumn to begin testing by the end of the year. The handbook will continue to be available in large print and audio/CD.
Information and guidance for people seeking to take the Life in the UK test is available on the Home Office and UK Border Agency websites. There is a Life in the UK web page (http://lifeintheuktest.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk) with links to help people to prepare for the test, including help for those not familiar with computers, a navigational tutorial and practice questions and answers to help an individual to judge their readiness to take the test. The Stationery Office also publishes a study guide and practice questions and answers.

Burma

Lord Hollick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of reports that international aid agencies are being obstructed from delivering aid to Rohingya people displaced by recent violence in Burma. [HL1811]

Baroness Northover: The UK is concerned by both the scale and nature of the violence in Rakhine State and its humanitarian impact. Ministers and officials continue to be active in raising the issues affecting the Rohingya community, and have called repeatedly and at the highest levels for the government to resolve the issue of nationality, and to grant the full respect for human rights to all the people of Burma, notably the Rohingya.
For security reasons, United Nations agencies and non-government organisations withdrew their staff from many of the areas affected by the violence. This has impeded the delivery of emergency aid and we have called on all sides to respect fundamental humanitarian access. The UN has since been able to provide some food and non-food aid to affected communities. The UK provides support to affected communities through core contributions to the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) and United Nations agencies.

Burma

Lord Hollick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Secretary of State for International Development discussed funding for refugees from Burma with Aung San Suu Kyi when she visited the United Kingdom. [HL1812]

Baroness Northover: The Secretary of State for International Development met Aung San Suu Kyi when she visited the Department for International Development (DfID) on 21 June. At the meeting they discussed a range of issues which included the importance of donor co-ordination, work on anti-corruption, improving transparency, responsible investment, and the work of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) which is visiting Burma this month.
Discussions did not focus specifically on refugees but DfID continues to provide support and keeps this under review.

Burma and Thailand

Lord Hollick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial support is being given to (1) the Mae Tao Clinic and (2) Shan Women’s Action Network for their projects in Burma and in Thailand. [HL1810]

Baroness Northover: DfID allocated �400,000 for the Shan Women’s Action Network between 2009 and 2012 to deliver assistance in the areas of education, health, capacity building and women’s empowerment for Shan communities affected by conflict, displacement and violence in Burma. DfID allocated �532,000 for Mae Tao Clinic between 2009 and 2012 to assist refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) along the Thailand-Burma border. This aid finances the purchase of pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies which benefit people affected by conflict in eastern Burma. DfID is currently finalising its future programme of assistance to communities affected by conflict in Burma.

Care Homes: Children

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of children’s care homes are in the north-west of England; how many children are cared for in those homes; how many of the children originate from the region; and what factors led to the concentration of care homes in certain regions and towns. [HL1285]

Lord Hill of Oareford: Information obtained from Ofsted shows that at 31 March 2011 there were 510 children's homes situated in the north-west of England. This represents 25% of all children's homes in England. The latest information shows that at 31 March 2012, there were 514 children's homes situated in the north-west of England; this also represents 25% of all children's homes in England.
At 31 March 2011, there were 1,020 looked-after children placed in care homes in the north-west of England. Of these children, 490 (48%) had been placed internally by local authorities within the north-west. Information for 2012 is not yet available.
The distribution of children's homes in England has not come about as a result of central government policy and is influenced by a wide range of factors. These will include local authority assessment of the viability of their directly provided services, alongside decisions by businesses on where they might best invest in opening new services.

Children: Poverty

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the children assessed as living in poverty are from families whose total income is derived from social security benefits, and whether they have any means of ensuring that those benefits intended for improving the well-being of children are used for that purpose. [HL1680]

Lord Freud: We do not regularly produce or publish figures on the number of children living in poverty who are from families whose total income is derived from state support. One of the reasons for this is that there are likely to be few families that actually have absolutely no other income streams apart from state support, even if they report no other income in our survey, because income can come from so many different sources, ranging from the small interest payments earned on current accounts or small regular gifts from friends and family to potentially large amounts of income from employment or investments.
We will consider whether it is feasible to produce the statistics requested within the disproportionate cost limit, and if so, will issue them in an official statistics release in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
We do not directly monitor whether benefits intended for children are used to improve well-being. However, the 2010 Child Poverty Strategy includes a suite of indicators which ensures that Government monitors not just the income children’s families receive, but also the outcomes achieved for children in poverty related to health, development and education.

China

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have about Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin, the new assistant bishop in Shanghai alleged to be under house arrest, and Bishop John W Ruowang of Tianshui, who was allegedly removed from office by the Government of China after one year; and whether they will make representations on their behalf. [HL1912]

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware of reports that the newly appointed Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Shanghai, Ma Daqin, disappeared on 7 July. According to media reporting Bishop John Ruowang of Tianshui was allegedly removed from his position in December 2011. We are concerned by these cases and are seeking further information about them. We will continue to seek opportunities to raise our concerns about individual cases and on issues relating to freedom of religious belief with the Chinese Government.

Courts: Vulnerable Defendants

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of vulnerable defendants in England and Wales who (1) have mental health problems, and (2) have learning disabilities. [HL1693]

Earl Howe: A survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 1997 estimated that around 90 per cent. of adult prisoners had at least one of the five disorders considered in the survey (personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse and drug dependence). There has been no centrally commissioned survey of mental illness in prison since the ONS 1997 report. However, these were aggregate data and do not provide a separate figure for the incidence of mental illness.
The department will commission an internal audit from its research and development team which quantifies the mental health needs of offenders, both in prison and where possible in community settings. A feasibility study for this work is due to start later this year and a fuller research study is expected to be commissioned in 2013.
Information on learning disabilities in prisons is not collected centrally.

Crime: Gun Grime

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many incidents of gun crime were recorded in Lincolnshire in each year from 1996 up to the last year for which records are available. [HL1867]

Lord Henley: Data for offences recorded by the police in which firearms (excluding air weapons) were reported to have been used since 1997/98 are provided for Lincolnshire police in the table. Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument against a person or used as a threat.
Offences recorded by the police in which firearms (excluding air weapons) were reported to have been used in Lincolnshire 1,2



Numbers




Year


Number of offences




1997/98


5




1998/993


16




1999/00


19




2000/01


24




2001/02


22




2002/034


37




2003/04


26




2004/05


90




2005/06


72




2006/07


45




2007/08


41




2008/09


16




2009/10


19




2010/11


17


1. Police recorded firearm offences data are submitted via an additional special collection.
2. Excludes offences involving the use of air weapons and offences recorded by British Transport Police. Includes crimes recorded by police where a firearm has been fired, used as a blunt instrument against a person or used as a threat.
3. In April 1998, changes to crime recording and the coverage of police recorded crime mean that figures are not comparable with earlier years.
4. The National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced in April 2002, although some forces adopted NCRS practices before the standard was formally introduced. Figures before and after that date are not directly comparable. The introduction of NCRS led to a rise in recording in 2002/03 and, particularly for violent crime, in the following years as forces continued to improve compliance with the new standard.

Cuerden Valley Park Trust

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will give an update on the activity in relation to the Cuerden Valley Park Trust of (1) the Department for Communities and Local Government, and (2) the Homes and Communities Agency. [HL1819]

Baroness Hanham: The Homes and Communities Agency has established a small working group of parties with an interest in the future of the park to look at the options available. Chorley Borough Council, South Ribble Borough Council, Lancashire County Council and the Homes and Communities Agency have agreed to work with the trust in this group and the first meeting of the Cuerden Valley Park Trust Working Group is scheduled for 2 August, chaired by John Stainton, chairman of the board of trustees. The remit is to look at further options that can be pursued that either help to sustain the park in the short to medium term or, if possible, provide a long-term solution. The agency will provide regular updates to the department.

Education: Languages

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will respond to the report by the Education and Employers Taskforce for Collins Language regarding the importance of languages acquisition for UK companies. [HL1106

Lord Hill of Oareford: We welcome this report. Learning a language benefits both individuals and the wider economy. The Government are taking steps to improve language teaching. The English baccalaureate has started to reverse the long-term decline in numbers taking languages at GCSE. We have proposed that a foreign language be compulsory for seven to 11 year-olds in maintained schools from 2014, so that they benefit from being taught a language from an early age.
Work-related learning can be important for young people at school, but schools are best placed to decide what is appropriate to suit the needs and circumstances of their pupils. In higher education, modern languages are classed as strategically important and vulnerable subjects and continue to attract targeted funding to support the numbers of students taking up places. This will help to increase the pool of talented linguists seeking employment.
We believe it is important that employers are able to lead the skills system, so the qualifications and the training available, through colleges and other providers, properly reflect business needs.
The UK Commission for Employment and Skills, and the Sector Skills Councils, are now working with, and on behalf of, employers from all sectors to increase workforce skills. To assist with this process, we have introduced the Growth and Innovation Fund and the Employer Ownership Pilot; these assist businesses to define the vocational skills they need, which may include language skills, and develop new ways to meet them. We believe this will lead to a more responsive skills system better able to match employers’ demands.

Egypt

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 4 July (WA 169), whether British diplomatic staff in Egypt include any of the Coptic faith. [HL1651]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) follows Civil Service best practice guidance in monitoring equality and diversity in our workforce. There is no obligation on staff to provide information on their religious practice, and the diversity data collected for those declaring themselves as Christians only distinguish between Christian Catholic, Christian Other and Christian Protestant. We therefore do not hold information on the number of British diplomatic staff in Egypt who practise the Coptic faith.

Egypt

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 4 July (WA 169), whether they intend to have direct discussions with the leaders of the Coptic faith and community in Egypt over their welfare and freedoms. [HL1652]

Lord Howell of Guildford: We maintain an open communication channel and are in regular contact with representatives of the Coptic Church and other religious minorities through our embassy in Cairo and in the UK.

Embryology

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to prepare Clinical Commissioning Groups for their new responsibilities as commissioners of fertility treatment. [HL1823]

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what powers of intervention the NHS Commissioning Board will have in the event of a Clinical Commissioning Group failing to provide IVF treatment to eligible couples. [HL1824]

Earl Howe: Infertility treatment services will be commissioned by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) with the NHS Commissioning Board providing oversight and support. This will include the provision of supportive resources and tools on how CCGs can collaborate to commission infertility treatment services.
The NHS Commissioning Board will have general intervention powers in relation to CCGs, should it be satisfied that a CCG is failing or has failed to discharge any of its functions or there is a significant risk that it will fail to do so. These include directing the CCG to discharge a function in a particular way and within a specified period. The board will also have powers to request documents and information, and to require from a CCG explanation of how it is proposing to exercise any of its functions. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 requires the board to publish guidance setting out how it proposes to exercise its intervention powers, so as to ensure that the arrangements are clear and transparent. The Commissioning Board will need to consider CCG responsibilities to commission infertility treatment services as part of this.

Employment Tribunals

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many claimants in receipt of Employment Support Allowance whose appeals have been allowed by a tribunal have been sent for reassessment within two years of the tribunal decision. [HL1909]

Lord Freud: The information is not readily available and has not previously been published as official statistics. We will consider whether it is feasible to produce the statistics requested within the disproportionate cost limit, and if so, will issue them in an official statistics release in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

EU: Association Agreements

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 13 July (WA 284), by what means the human rights clauses of the European Union-Israel Association Agreement have been or are being enforced; and whether they will give examples of successful enforcement. [HL1763]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The human rights clauses of the European Union (EU)-Israel association agreement form the basis for discussions between the EU and Israel regarding the EU's concerns on human rights. This includes at meetings of the informal working group on human rights, at the EU-Israel Association Committee meetings and at the EU-Israel Association Council, which will meet on 24 July.
The EU has been very clear that no progress can be made on upgrading the wider EU-Israel relationship until there is substantial progress towards a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. In addition, that upgrade must be based on the shared values of both parties, and particularly on respect for human rights, democracy, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, good governance and international humanitarian law.

Extradition: Gary McKinnon

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty’s Government for how long the Gary McKinnon case has been awaiting a final decision; and what expert opinion in the case the Home Secretary has (1) sought, (2) accepted, and (3) rejected. [HL1640]

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the comments on the case of Gary McKinnon by John Arquilla. [HL1641]

Lord Henley: The Home Secretary agreed to review the case of Gary McKinnon in May 2010. She will consider carefully all the relevant medical and legal material, and other representations before making her decision.

Gaza

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have received on whether work has started on four water, sanitation and hygiene projects in the Gaza Strip which received approval in December 2011 from the Government of Israel; and if work has not started, whether they will make urgent representations to the Government of Israel about those projects. [HL1672]

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware that the Government of Israel approved some projects on water, sanitation and hygiene in December 2011, but we are not aware of new sanitation or water projects starting since then in Gaza.
We have concerns about the implementation of community projects and continue to make representations to the Israeli Government on this issue. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised this with the Co-ordinator of the Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Dangot, on 16 July.
Water and sanitation projects worth over $70 million and benefiting over 1.4 million Palestinians are still awaiting Israeli approval for access of materials. The fair and effective distribution of shared water resources across the Middle East is of great concern to us. The Government continue to press the Israeli Government, bilaterally and by working with others such as the European Union, on the need to ensure adequate access to water in Gaza. These resources are limited and therefore require effective co-operation from all parties to manage them in such a manner that ensures there will be enough for all.

Gaza

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last made representations to the Government of Israel about access to and egress from Gaza for vehicles and materials; and with what results. [HL1673]

Lord Howell of Guildford: When the Parliamentary Under-Secretary State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt) visited Gaza in July 2011, he saw how the Israeli restrictions on movements of goods and people, including on access to agricultural and fishing areas, do tremendous damage to the economy and living standards of ordinary people in Gaza and serve to strengthen, not weaken, Hamas. The current situation fosters radicalisation and empowers Hamas, while punishing the ordinary people of Gaza. An improved economy is not only essential for the people of Gaza, but firmly in Israel’s security interests. In close co-ordination with our European Union partners and the Office of the Quartet Representative, we continue to press the Israeli Government at ministerial and official level to ease access restrictions. We welcome some recent small steps in this direction, including the first exports of textile goods from Gaza to the UK.

Gaza

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, the prohibition of trade and economic activities with illegal settlements, the treatment of prisoners and children in detention, halting increases in the numbers of settlers in the Occupied Territories and Area C of the West Bank, and compensation for buildings destroyed in the Occupied Territories and Area C are all on the agenda for forthcoming meetings between the European Union and Israel. [HL1769]

Lord Howell of Guildford: On 15 May the European Union (EU) issued Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions which set out the EU position on Gaza, settlements, settlement produce, human rights, Area C and demolitions: www.consiliurn.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/130195.pdf.
The EU-Israel Association Agreement provides mechanisms for the EU to regularly and periodically raise our concerns on these issues with Israel. On 2 May 2012 the association committee reviewed the progress of all sub-committees and working groups operating under the EU-Israel Association Agreement. These sub-committees will continue to meet throughout 2012 and provide the EU with an opportunity to raise any issue of concern with Israel.
The EU has been very clear that no progress can be made on upgrading the wider EU-Israel relationship until there is substantial progress towards a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. In addition, that upgrade must be based on the shared values of both parties, and particularly on respect for human rights, democracy, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, good governance and international humanitarian law.

Gaza

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the implementation of the 16 internationally-led projects to alleviate Gaza's water shortage currently awaiting implementation; and what representations they have made to the Government of Israel to produce a timetable for completion. [HL1924]

Baroness Northover: UK officials regularly discuss the issue of access to water with Israeli counterparts, and call on Israel to allow entry of essential items on the dual-use list to allow for rehabilitation of the water network. We have supported the Palestinian Authority’s crossing co-ordination committee in its work in co-ordinating movement of all goods into and out of Gaza by providing it with equipment necessary for its day-to-day functioning. We are also working closely with the Office of the Quartet Representative (OQR) to hold Israel to account for promises made as part of the most recent Confidence Building Measures package.
DfID has not specifically lobbied on the implementation of the 16 internationally-led projects referred to in the question. The main lead on water issues in the Occupied Palestinian Territories lies with the Emergency Water, Sanitation and Hygiene group (EWASH). EWASH co-ordinates project management among almost 30 donors, agencies and organisations working on water and sanitation projects in both the West Bank and Gaza, and ensures that the donor community's messages to the appropriate Israeli authorities on these issues are coherent and consistent.

Government Departments: Apprentices

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total number of staff employed within the private offices of ministers and the permanent secretary at the Department for Education on 1 June; and how many of them were (1) under the age of 21, (2) apprentices under the age of 21, and (3) apprentices over the age of 21. [HL959]

Lord Hill of Oareford: The total number of staff employed in the private offices on 1 June 2012 was 70. All are aged over 21 and while there are currently no apprentices in private offices, at least two permanent members of staff in private offices began their careers in the department on the apprenticeship scheme. We expect several new apprentices to be placed in private offices in the autumn.

Government Departments: Public Consultations

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the greatest number of responses to a public consultation that the Home Office has been able to consider and on which it has offered a public policy decision within (1) three months, or (2) six months, of the ending of the public consultation. [HL1732]

Lord Henley: Information on the number of responses to certain individual consultations is published in government response documents. These can be found on the Home Office website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/consultations/under closed consultations.
An example of a consultation with a relatively large number of responses for which a response document was published within six months was the Rebalancing the Licensing Act, a consultation on empowering individuals, families and local communities to shape and determine local licensing. This received a total of 1,089 responses.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Health and Safety Executive enforces the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and associated legislation including the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended), for aircrew in flight in British airspace, as well as in aircraft on the ground and intended for flight. [HL1687]

Lord Freud: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the enforcing authority for the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated legislation including the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended). However, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for regulating the occupational health and safety of crew members pursuant to the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004. A memorandum of understanding between HSE and CAA allocates responsibility to avoid duplication of effort.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the Health and Safety Executive enforces the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) for British-registered aircraft outside British airspace. [HL1688]

Lord Freud: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the enforcing authority for the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated legislation including the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended). However, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for regulating the occupational health and safety of crew members pursuant to the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004, and for regulating the health of all persons on board British registered aircraft pursuant to the Civil Aviation Act 1982. A memorandum of understanding between the CAA and HSE allocates responsibility to avoid duplication of effort. HSE gives a lesser priority to enforcement in areas where other regulators have responsibilities and are better placed to regulate.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Health and Safety Executive and the Civil Aviation Authority on health and safety regulatory responsibilities for public transport and cargo aircraft operations, which organisation is responsible for enforcing the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) for aircrew on board aircraft, on the ground before or after flight, and in flight; whether aircrew employees are protected by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) whilst working in aircraft in British airspace; and on how many occasions since the MoU was signed either organisation has enforced the legislation for infringements that have occurred. [HL1689]

Lord Freud: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the enforcing authority responsible for enforcing the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) for aircrew on board aircraft, on the ground before or after flight, and in flight.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) also has responsibility for the health and safety of aircrew under the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004, and for the health of persons aboard aircraft under the Civil Aviation Act 1982. Where the regulatory functions of HSE and CAA overlap, the memorandum of understanding between them sets out who is the most appropriate regulator so as to avoid duplication, as happens in other areas of work activity. HSE gives less priority to enforcement in areas where other regulators have responsibilities and are better placed to regulate.
Since the MoU was signed, HSE has taken the following enforcement action in relation to operations around aircraft on the ground: one prosecution; seven improvement notices and two deferred prohibition notices. None of the enforcement action relates to a breach of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended).
CAA has taken no enforcement action in relation to any chemical exposure on board aircraft under the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the occupational health and safety enforcement responsibilities designated to the Civil Aviation Authority under the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004 involve the enforcement of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended). [HL1690]

Lord Freud: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) does not have enforcement responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended). However, CAA is given occupational health and safety enforcement responsibilities under the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004.
CAA regulatory responsibilities require that crew members are provided at all times during the course of their employment with adequate health and safety protection and prevention services or facilities appropriate to the nature of their employment.

Health: Contraceptive Services

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the report of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UK on restrictions in access to contraceptive services; and whether they plan to implement the relevant recommendations of the report. [HL1785]

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will implement the recommendation made by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UK in its recent report Healthy women, healthy lives for the forthcoming sexual health policy document to be published as soon as possible; and whether they will give a date for its publication. [HL1786]

Earl Howe: The department expects the National Health Service to offer comprehensive access to contraception services and free supplies of all methods of contraception.
The department will set out plans to improve sexual health services in our sexual health policy document later this year and from next April contraceptive services will be commissioned as part of new arrangements for public health services. Local authorities (LAs) will be mandated to commission open access services and access to all methods of contraception for people of all ages. LAs will receive new ring-fenced public health budgets for the first time.

Health: Multiple Sclerosis

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence quality standard on multiple sclerosis is due to be developed and published. [HL1711]

Earl Howe: We asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to develop a quality standard on multiple sclerosis in March 2012 as part of a library of approximately 170 NHS quality standards. NICE has not yet published a timescale for the development of this quality standard.
A full list of quality standards, including information on those currently in development and those already published can be found on NICE’s website: www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qualitystandards/qualitystandards.jsp

Health: Neuromuscular Disease

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the NHS Commissioning Board about the future funding arrangements for neuromuscular care advisors in England. [HL1874]

Earl Howe: Adult specialised neurosciences services form part of the Specialised Services National Definitions set. Under the Health and Social Care Act (2011), the NHS Commissioning Board (NHSCB) will have responsibility for the direct commissioning of a number of services including those specialised services that are currently commissioned on a national or regional basis. Work is currently in hand to determine the list of services. No final decisions have yet been made on which services the NHSCB will directly commission from April 2013. Ministers expect to be in a position to set out an initial list in the summer. This will then be subject to consultation with the NHSCB, prior to setting out in regulations.
For low-volume services that fall outside the scope of specialised services, there will be flexibility for commissioning groups to decide how to commission, for example, through collaboration or through a lead-commissioner arrangement.
The department has not had any specific discussions with the NHSCB about the future funding arrangements for neuromuscular care advisers in England.

Health: Orthopaedics

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support is available to Clinical Commissioning Groups to help them design and plan services to prevent falls and fragility fractures in older people. [HL1794]

Earl Howe: The department provides guidelines through the department’s falls and bone health commissioning toolkit.
In addition, the department held a Falls and Fractures Summit with Age UK and the National Osteoporosis Society in October 2011 to explore how to improve services for patients with falls and fractures.

Health: PDE5 Inhibitors

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to discourage men who experience erectile dysfunction from buying PDE5 inhibitors from unlicensed online pharmacies if they are unable to access appropriate treatment in the National Health Service. [HL1782]

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to prevent the sale of counterfeit PDE5 inhibitors by unlicensed online pharmacies. [HL1783]

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any assessment has been made of the volume of counterfeit PDE5 inhibitors that enter the United Kingdom illegally each year through (1) community pharmacies, and (2) online pharmacies. [HL1784]

Earl Howe: As both the availability of medicines through unregulated websites and the global availability of counterfeit medicines present distinct problems to public health in the United Kingdom, the UK Government take these issues very seriously.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) engages in regular public awareness campaigns with stakeholders to warn consumers of the inherent dangers of purchasing any type of medicine online. The MHRA tackles online pharmacies through monitoring websites offering to supply medicines (particularly prescription medicines) to UK citizens and has also initiated a highly successful global annual international enforcement operation which targets medicines sold via the internet, resulting in the closing down of thousands of websites.
The MHRA has developed and implemented a falsified medical products strategy which puts in place a number of measures to prevent counterfeit medicines and medical devices from reaching patients.
European legislative changes were announced by the European Parliament on 15 February 2011 in the form of the Falsified Medicines Directive and will be implemented in the UK from January 2013. The provisions will include additional obligations on manufacturers and distributors of medicines. The directive also requires member states to introduce national arrangements to register suppliers of medicines at a distance.
There has been one known instance of a counterfeit PDE5 inhibitor entering the UK through a community pharmacy which was Cialis in 2004. There is no definitive way of assessing the volume of online trade in medicines and medical devices.

Health: Smallpox Vaccine

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Warner on 28 November 2005 (WA 12-13), how many (1) doctors, (2) nurses, (3) ambulance staff, (4) scientists, (5) police personnel and (6) others have been vaccinated for smallpox with the intention of enabling them to deal with a terrorist attack, and how many of those have had complications leading to further treatment using vaccine immunoglobulin. [HL1664]

Earl Howe: In line with the risk assessment at the time, a cohort of front-line health workers was vaccinated in 2005 to deal with any initial suspected or confirmed cases of smallpox should it occur. The cohort comprised a total of 516 vaccinated personnel of whom 147 were doctors, 164 were nurses, 100 were ambulance staff, 32 were scientists and 73 held other related healthcare occupations. All those vaccinated were carefully screened and monitored and none had adverse complications that required vaccinia immunoglobulin.
The Home Office has confirmed that since 2005 it has not commissioned a vaccination programme against smallpox for police emergency responders. The department’s smallpox policy is currently under review.

Health: Training and Education

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to require private sector and third sector organisations in receipt of healthcare contracts to participate in the education and training of nurses and other health care professionals. [HL1800]

Earl Howe: Any organisation providing National Health Service-funded services will be expected to participate in the education and training of the healthcare workforce. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 places a duty on any person providing services as part of the health service to co-operate with the Secretary of State, in the discharge of his new duty in Section 1F of the National Health Service Act 2006 to exercise his functions so as to secure an effective education and training system.
This duty will take effect from 1 April 2013. It will be achieved by amending the NHS standard contract so that it includes clauses requiring all providers of NHS services to co-operate with their local education and training board to enable it to plan, commission and quality assure education and training effectively.

House of Lords: Legislation

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Strathclyde on 9 July (WA 212), whether Ministers receive a briefing on the implications of the Pepper v Hart judgment for the interpretation of legislation before they introduce a Bill in Parliament; and, if so, of what does that briefing consist. [HL1576]

Lord Strathclyde: Any briefing or legal advice provided to Ministers on the interpretation of legislation prior to a Bill being introduced is done on a case-by-case basis. Reference to the Pepper v Hart judgment is made in the Cabinet Office Guide to Making Legislation.

Housing

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hanham on 28 May (WA 111), what was the breakdown of the grant allocated to each developer from (1) the National Affordable Housing Programme (2008-11), and (2) the Affordable Homes Programme (2011-15). [HL1587]

Baroness Hanham: The breakdown of grant allocated to each developer from the National Affordable Housing Programme (2008-11) and the Affordable Homes Programme (2011-15) is set out below.



Developer


Affordable Homes Programme 2011-15 (�m)


National Affordable Housing Programme 2008-11 (�m)




Barratt Developments PLC


10.90


23.70




Bellway PLC


10.80


3.30




Berkeley Homes Group


0.00


44.70




Bovis Homes Group PLC


5.10


0.60




Crest Nicholson


0.00


0.40




Galliford Try PLC


17.10


7.70




Persimmon Ltd


20.60


1.60




Redrow Regeneration Ltd


0.00


0.00




Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd


0.00


2.30




Telford Homes PLC


4.50


17.80


Figures provided in the Written Answer on 28 May (WA 111) also included allocations made through the Kickstart programme.
The 2011-15 programme will invest �4.5 billion of taxpayers’ money in affordable housing and lever in a further �15 billion of private investment, assisted by innovative schemes like Affordable Rent.
The National Audit Office's recent report (Financial Viability of the Social Housing Sector: Introducing the Affordable Homes Programme, HC 465, 4 July 2012) observed that: "The Department selected the best delivery model open to it for the funds it had available … The Department has so far achieved its policy objective to maximise the number of homes delivered within the available grant funding … The Programme was over subscribed which led to the Department raising its target for the number of affordable homes it expects to deliver".

Human Trafficking and Servitude

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the abolition of the Overseas Domestic Workers Visa on the problems of servitude and human trafficking. [HL1761]

Lord Henley: The Overseas Domestic Worker (ODW) visa has not been abolished. Following a consultation last year on options for reforming the ODW routes, including closing the private household route, the Government introduced reforms in April. These restore the original purpose of the ODW routes, to allow visitors and diplomats to be accompanied by their domestic staff rather than provide permanent access to the UK for unskilled workers. The reforms recognise that the ODW routes can result in the import of abusive employer/employee relationships to the UK. They address the risk by ensuring those entering the UK through the private household route do so only for a short time and to accompany an employer with whom they have a pre-existing relationship.
The Government consider that these reforms will help reduce the risk of the ODW routes being used to traffic workers into slavery and servitude. In addition, the UK’s protections for victims of trafficking and slavery remain available to those using the ODW routes.

Immigration

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many foreign nationals who hold a criminal conviction that has not been spent or exhausted under the law in their home nation, or under English law, have been allowed entry clearance into the United Kingdom. [HL1816]

Lord Henley: Entry clearance officers consider decisions to refuse or grant a visa on a case by case basis and take into account a range of factors including criminal records from both the UK and overseas. The exact nature of all individual visa refusals is not recorded centrally. To answer the question would therefore require examination of individual records which would result in disproportionate costs.

Immigration

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that Parliament has the opportunity to scrutinise all changes to the Immigration Rules before enforcement; and how they plan to improve the current system for scrutinising such changes. [HL1896]

Lord Henley: Her Majesty’s Government endeavour to respect the convention of allowing 21 days between the date on which Immigration Rules are laid and the date on which they come into force. However, where operational or legal requirements necessitate an urgent change to the Immigration Rules in order to preserve their procedural or legal integrity, it is necessary to bring changes to the rules into force in a shorter time. The procedure laid down in Section 3(2) of the Immigration Act 1971 nevertheless applies in all cases. If changes to the Immigration Rules laid before Parliament are disapproved by a resolution within 40 sitting days from the date on which the changes are laid, the Secretary of State shall make such changes to the Immigration Rules as appear to her to be required in the circumstances within 40 sitting days from the date of the resolution. Her Majesty’s Government consider that the period of 40 sitting days allowed for disapproval by resolution provides ample opportunity for thorough scrutiny of changes to the rules and do not consider that any improvements are needed to the system for scrutinising such changes.

Immigration: Children

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children are currently detained for immigration purposes in (1) removal centres, (2) short-term holding facilities, and (3) pre-departure accommodation. [HL1893]

Lord Henley: Latest published figures show that as at 31 March 2012 there was one child held, solely under Immigration Act powers, at Cedars pre-departure accommodation.
The Home Office releases statistics on detention, solely under Immigration Act powers on a quarterly basis, within Immigration Statistics and on children entering detention on a monthly basis which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office’s Science, Research and Statistics website at: http://homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics/.

Immigration: Criminal Records

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how differences between criminal sentences given in England compared with Australia, Canada and the United States are accounted for, when allowing entry clearance into the United Kingdom. [HL1817]

Lord Henley: Entry clearance officers consider decisions to refuse or grant entry clearance on a case-by-case basis and will take into account a range of factors, including overseas criminal records.
Paragraph 320(18) of the rules states that an application should normally be refused if that person has been convicted of an offence in any country, which could have attracted a term of imprisonment of 12 months or more if the offence had been committed in the UK. Entry clearance officers should not refuse under paragraph 320(18) if the conviction is considered spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
Paragraph 320(18) will not apply where an applicant has been cautioned. When determining if a refusal under paragraph 320(18) is appropriate, the entry clearance officer must ensure that the refusal is both proportionate and reasonable. All cases are considered on their individual facts.

Immigration: Domestic Violence

Lord Dholakia: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many settlement applications are received by the UK Border Agency each year under the SET (DV) provisions on domestic violence; how many of those applications are successful; and how many of those successful applications are decided prior to the culmination of any relevant court proceedings on domestic violence. [HL1858]

Lord Henley: The number of settlement applications received each year since 2006 under SET (DV) provisions are as outlined below:






Applications received


Granted Settlement




2006


1,132


309




2007


1,318


275




2008


1,345


647




2009


1,287


742




2010


1,215


821


We do not collect details of cases that are decided prior to any outstanding court proceedings being concluded. It would be rare that a decision would be made prior to court action being concluded but when it does happen it is only when the evidence of domestic violence is overwhelming.
The information relating to number of applications has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change. The information relating to the number of cases granted settlement is taken from published data last updated on 25 August 2011. This data will be updated next in August 2012.

Iran

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will draw the attention of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Mr Ahmed Shaheed, to the case of the founder and President of the Human Rights Organisation of Iranian Kurdistan, Mohammad Sadiq Kaboudvand, on hunger strike in prison in Tehran. [HL1674]

Lord Howell of Guildford: We will continue to draw the attention of Dr Shaheed to the many human rights cases of concern in Iran, including that of Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand. We are particularly concerned about Mr Kaboudvand’s health following his hunger strike. We highlighted his case on 3 May through our Farsi social media presence as part of a series dedicated to imprisoned journalists in Iran and will continue to follow his case closely. We frequently call on Iran directly to cease the persecution of human rights defenders.

Iran

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last made representations to the Government of Iran concerning the Farsi-language Christian churches there, and with what result; and whether they will continue making representations on behalf of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani and Pastor Farshid Fathi and other imprisoned Christians, in particular about their consequent loss of jobs and homes. [HL1911]

Lord Howell of Guildford: In a Statement on 10 May, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt) called on Iran to overturn Pastor Nadarkhani’s death sentence and stop the harassment of individuals on the basis of their religious beliefs. (A copy of the Statement can be found on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s website: www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsilatest-news/?view=Newsid=763080082.)
While Iran appears not to have overturned the sentence, neither are there reports it has been carried out. We believe that raising the profile of such cases and international pressure does make a difference. We will therefore continue to make representations to Iran about the persecution of individuals on religious grounds, including through their recently accepted protecting power in the UK, the Sultanate of Oman. We will raise Pastor Nadarkhani, Pastor Fathi and the persecution of Christians more broadly, including the effects on their employment and property, with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed; and we will press in international fora such as the UN General Assembly this autumn for the Iranian Government to cease the persecution of religious minorities in Iran.

Israel

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implementation by the Government of Israel of the recommendation of the 2008 Goldberg Commission which recommended the recognition of most of the remaining unrecognised Bedouin villages in Israel. [HL1939]

Lord Howell of Guildford: We remain concerned that the Israeli Government’s Goldberg Commission’s 2008 recommendations, which included a recommendation to recognise most of the remaining unrecognised Bedouin villages, has not brought about an end to the demolition of Bedouin houses and villages.
Our Embassy is in regular contact with Bedouin leaders and activists and our Ambassador to Israel has discussed the issue with the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Knesset and Minister Begin on a number of occasions. Minister Begin told our Ambassador that the majority of the unzoned and unplanned villages would stay in place. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt) also spoke to Minister Begin on 12 July to raise our concerns and encourage further dialogue between the Israeli Government and Bedouin representatives. Extensive consultations with the Bedouin community are underway and it is clear that decisions are not yet imminent. We hope that this process will result in an agreed and satisfactory solution to the long-standing issue of unrecognised Bedouin villages.

Israel

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Government of Israel on the draft legislation before the Knesset which seeks to ban mosques from using loudspeakers during the call to prayers. [HL1940]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The bill tabled by Knesset Member Michaeli was rejected by the Israeli Ministerial Committee for legislation in 11 December 2011. We have therefore made no representations on the matter.
In general we place real importance on the right to freedom of religion for all. We condemn all instances of violence and discrimination against individuals and groups because of their faith or belief, including attacks or discrimination against Christians in the Middle East. Our embassies in the region monitor and raise concerns over human rights with host Governments, including freedom of religion or belief, whenever appropriate. Where possible our embassies take action on individual cases where persecution or discrimination has occurred and lobby for changes in discriminatory practices and laws. We also continue to raise freedom of religion or belief in bilateral and European Union human rights dialogues and we work in the United Nations and with other international organisations to uphold universal standards.

Israel and Palestine: West Bank and East Jerusalem

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cases have been filed by British citizens or residents claiming compensation or damages for land or properties in the West Bank or East Jerusalem; whether they will promote or assist them with a view to establishing legal precedents; and when they expect the first of any such cases to be decided. [HL1910]

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are not aware of any cases filed by British citizens or residents claiming compensation or damages for land or properties in the West Bank or East Jerusalem.

Lebanon

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are assisting the National Dialogue taking place between political leaders in Lebanon; and what assessment they have made of the contribution of the recent publication by Conciliation Resources Reconciliation, reform and resilience: Positive peace for Lebanon. [HL1836]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Government are strongly committed to supporting peace and stability in Lebanon, which is also critical for the stability of the region. To this end we have doubled our support to the Lebanese security forces and are providing assistance to strengthen Lebanon’s democratic institutions. Lebanese political factions met in the National Dialogue on 11 and 25 June, for the first time since early 2010. We have welcomed the resumption of the National Dialogue and are urging all Lebanese parties to work together to continue to reduce tensions. This was also the message given by the European Foreign Affairs Council in its conclusions agreed on 23 June.
Earlier this month, officials attended a presentation held by Conciliation Resources on the launch of its Accord publication on Lebanon. We welcome the contribution this will make to the debate within Lebanon and in the international community about how to support reconciliation and reform in Lebanon to promote long-term stability and prosperity.

Middle East and North Africa: Discrimination against Women

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider assembling before 2014 a conference to consider implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa; and whether, through the Arab Partnership and all other means, they will support participation by women in their local economies in those regions. [HL1815]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK works with all the UN agencies, in particular UN Women, to advance women's rights. The UK embodies the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) non-discrimination principle in domestic legislation and the implementation of the convention is also supported by a range of non-legislative measures. The UK reports regularly to the CEDAW committee. Its latest periodic report was submitted in June 2011 and we expect the oral examination to take place during summer 2013.
We believe that it would be better for any Middle East and North Africa-wide conference on CEDAW to be led and assembled by players in the region. We would consider favourably providing expert input and support to such a conference if requested, as we did when we part-funded with the European Union, a National Women's Conference in Libya in November 2011, and assistance in meeting their commitments under CEDAW.
In 2011 the UK established the Arab Partnership initiative, backed by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)/Department for International Development (DfID) Arab Partnership Funds of �110 million over four years-a �40 million FCO-led Arab Partnership Participation Fund (APPF) and a �70 million DfID-led Arab Partnership Economic Facility (APEF) to support political and economic participation in the MENA region. Encouraging greater participation for women in all political and economic life is an important aspect of the fund's work. Under all our funding instruments we ensure that gender issues are taken into account in our projects and that all programmes have a focus on the marginalised, particularly women and girls. We have also supported projects with a specific gender focus, e.g. a voter outreach programme in Tunisia targeting women voters in rural areas.
The Government support women's participation in their local economies across the region. Our regional women's political participation work is directly linked to women's economic empowerment, and contributes to tackling legal and regulatory frameworks which inhibit their ability to participate fully in economic life. In addition, we are working with international finance institutions in the region to ensure, for example, that their small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and access to finance programming include women fully. At a local level, in Egypt, we are also supporting rural women's engagement in microfinance and entrepreneurship in their communities.

National Crime Agency

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the budget that will be required for the additional responsibilities to be taken on by the National Crime Agency; what assessment they have made as to whether there will be any additional costs arising from the new responsibilities; and whether any such costs can be met from existing budgets. [HL1715]

Lord Henley: The Government have committed to deliver the National Crime Agency (NCA) from within the combined budgets of its precursor organisations. For the first full financial year of operations, the NCA budget is estimated to be approximately �400 million. The NCA will use its enhanced intelligence capability and tasking and co-ordination arrangements to co-ordinate the law enforcement response to serious and organised crime so that resources are focused where they can have the greatest impact and duplication is eliminated. Budget considerations are included in the ongoing work on the design and operating model for the NCA.

National Crime Agency

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the budget required for each of the four commands within the National Crime Agency. [HL1716]

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether each of the commands within the National Crime Agency will have its own distinct budget to adhere to and work within. [HL1717]

Lord Henley: The National Crime Agency (NCA) will comprise four operational commands: Organised Crime, Border Policing, Economic Crime, and Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP). These commands will be supported by centralised, cross-cutting capabilities for intelligence, prioritisation, tasking and cyber crime. The NCA director-general will be responsible for ensuring that the resources provided to the NCA are allocated in the most efficient and effective manner in accordance with the NCA's strategic priorities.

NATO

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total amount spent in each of the last five years on publicising and explaining in the United Kingdom the roles and functions of NATO. [HL1594
]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not maintain a specific budget for diplomacy campaigns related to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). We do seek, however, to publicise the UK’s role in NATO through regular media channels. The most recent example would be the foreign attendance by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) at the NATO Chicago Summit in May.
For the past five years, the UK’s delegation to NATO (UKDel NATO) has also had two staffing resources working on communications. UKDel NATO currently has one press officer and one digital/media support officer who work on ensuring UK messaging is fully integrated into NATO’s public diplomacy work, liaise with Brussels-based UK and international media, and work on digital outreach.
The UK also contributes to the NATO Civil Budget which, in part, supports the NATO Public Diplomacy budget. Calendar year figures for the NATO Public Diplomacy budget for the last five years are below:



Year


NATO Public Diplomacy Division Budget (excluding Staff costs)(�million based on current exchange rate)




2008


6.6




2009


6.9




2010


7.2




2011


6.5




2012


6.1

NATO

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what the UK financial contribution has been in each of the last five years to the Civil Budget of NATO. [HL1595]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Civil Budget covers the running costs of the NATO political headquarters in Brussels, including the salaries of international civil servants (from the Secretary-General downwards) and utilities, buildings maintenance and official travel. The current UK contribution is approximately 11% of the total.



Year


Contribution (�million based on current exchange rate)




2008/09


21.6




2009/10


21.0




2010/11


19.7




2011/12


20.1




2012/13*


20.5


* Projected

NATO

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total number of people in the UK delegation to NATO; and how this has changed over the past five years. [HL1596]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK Delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is made up of a mixture of Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence (military and civilian) employees. The current level of staff (including contracted services staff) is 56.
There has been a steady reduction in staff levels from approximately 70 in 2009 to current levels.

NATO

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any information about the number of UK citizens serving in the international staff of NATO. [HL1597]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The international staff of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation headquarters (NATO HQ) number around 1,200 and of these around 144 are UK citizens. Only Belgium, as NATO HQ’s host nation, has a greater number of international staff.

NATO

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated date of completion of the new NATO headquarters building; and what has been the UK contribution to its cost. [HL1598]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The estimated date for the building to be handed over to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is December 2015, where further work will be undertaken to prepare it for national delegations until 2017.
So far, the UK has contributed �22,627,206, but our total contribution over the lifespan of the project until 2017 will be �95,719,531.
The UK has been closely monitoring the project and the costs to ensure that best value is obtained.

Overseas Aid

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual cost to the United Kingdom of its combined gross contributions to the European Union, NATO, the United Nations and overseas aid. [HL1679]

Lord Sassoon: The UK gross contribution to the European Union (EU) Budget, after taking account of the UK abatement, in 2011-12 was �12,184 million. This includes money that scores as UK official development assistance (ODA).
The UK's financial contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO’s) common funded budget in 2011, excluding non-common funded costs such as manpower costs, was �151 million. The UK’s contribution to the NATO civil budget in that year was €25 million.
The UK makes numerous contributions to the many different parts of the United Nations (UN) system and UN-led activities. The UK’s contribution to the UN Regular Budget in 2011 was $155.3 million. For further information on the contributions to the UN, including contributions to the UN Peacekeeping Budgets and to other UN programmes, funds and bodies, I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by Mr Henry Bellingham MP, Minister for Africa, on 17 January 2012 (Official Report, Commons; col. 723W].
Total UK ODA in 2011 is provisionally estimated at �8,570 million, including ODA contributions to multilateral organisations including the United Nations and the European Commission.

Pakistan

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they hold regarding the killing on 4 July of Mr Ghulam Abbas, who was accused of breaking blasphemy laws in Pakistan; and whether they have made representations over the matter. [HL1726]

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware of media reports of the killing of Mr Ghulam Abbas on 4 July for allegedly breaking the Blasphemy Laws. We are very concerned about the potential for the Blasphemy Laws to be misused against Muslims and religious minorities in Pakistan. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt), raised the issue of freedom of religion with the Foreign Minister for Pakistan, Hina Rabbani Khar, in February this year.

Pakistan

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the volume and trend of vigilante killings of those accused or suspected of breaking blasphemy laws in Pakistan. [HL1727]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) regularly meets non-governmental organisations who monitor the killings related to the Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan. The FCO also summarises the trends on Blasphemy Laws in its annual Human Rights report and quarterly updates to the report. In that report we highlight our concern over the misuse of the Blasphemy Laws against Muslims as well as religious minorities in Pakistan.

Police

Lord King of West Bromwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many police officers took early retirement in (1) 2010, and (2) 2011, in the police forces of (a) Birmingham, (b) Coventry, (c) Solihull, (d) Wolverhampton, (e) Walsall, (f) Sandwell, and (g) Dudley. [HL1629]

Lord King of West Bromwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the average number of police officers working in (1) 2009, (2) 2010, and (3) 2011, for the police forces of (a) Birmingham, (b) Coventry, (c) Solihull, (d) Wolverhampton, (e) Walsall, (f) Sandwell, and (g) Dudley. [HL1630]

Lord Henley: The requested information on the number of police officers who took early retirement within Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley is not held centrally by the Home Office. As figures are only collected as at 31 March, it is not possible to provide average numbers. The latest available information (full-time equivalents) on the number of police officers in post as at 31 March 2009 to 2011 for Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley can be seen from the table.



The number of police officers in post as at 31 March 2009 to 2011 within police forces of Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley.1,2







2009


2010


2011




Birmingham


3,106


3,090


2,312




Coventry


852


826


600




Solihull


389


404


325




Wolverhampton


674


670


508




Walsall


640


639


484




Sandwell


717


720


565




Dudley


555


556


449


1 These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
Figures include those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.
2 Figures for Birmingham basic command unit for 2010/11 are the sum of Birmingham East, Birmingham North, Birmingham South and Birmingham West  Central.
Figures for 2008/09 and 2009/10 for Birmingham basic command unit are the sum of West Midlands D1-D3, E1-E3 and F1-F3 basic command units. Figures for Coventry basic command unit for 2008/09 and 2009/10 are the sum of West Midlands M1-M3 basic command units. Figures for Wolverhampton basic command unit for 2008/09 and 2009/10 are the sum of West Midlands G1-G2 basic command units. Figures for Dudley basic command unit for 2008/09 and 2009/10 are the sum of West Midlands J1-J2 basic command units.
Figures for Sandwell basic command unit for 2008/09 and 2009/10 are the sum of West Midlands K1-K2 basic command units.
Figures for Walsall basic command unit for 2008/09 and 2009/10 are the sum of West Midlands H1-H2 basic command units.

Police

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many police officers were employed in Lincolnshire in each year from 1996 to the last year for which records are available. [HL1863]

Lord Henley: The latest available information shows that the number of police officers employed by Lincolnshire police force (full-time equivalents) in each year, as at 31 March, from 1996 to 2011, were as follows:
Number of police officers employed in Lincolnshire police force in each year as at 31 March 1996 to 2011.1. 2.



Number of police officers




31-Mar-96


1,145




31-Mar-97


1,196




31-Mar-98


1,191




31-Mar-99


1,140




31-Mar-00


1,115




31-Mar-01


1,202




31-Mar-02 


1,198




31-Mar-03


1,236




31-Mar-04


1,241




31-Mar-05


1,234




31-Mar-06


1,236




31-Mar-07


1,243




31-Mar-08


1,201




31-Mar-09


1,229




31-Mar-10


1,206




31-Mar-11


1,202


1. This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
2. Figures prior to 2003 exclude and figures after 2003 include police officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.

Police: Complaints

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the results of the internal West Midlands police professional standards investigation into complaints that police made up evidence against the Muslim university student Rizwaan Sabir; and whether they are aware of any similar cases. [HL1707]

Lord Henley: This is a matter for West Midlands Police. The Home Office can play no role in police complaints cases beyond that set out in the Police Reform Act 2002.

Police: Stations

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many police stations have closed in each police authority over the past three years. [HL1861]

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many police stations have seen a reduction in opening hours in each police authority over the past three years. [HL1862]

Lord Henley: This information is not collected centrally. Decisions about the most effective use of available resources, including the numbers and operating hours of police stations, are a matter for chief constables and police authorities or police and crime commissioners to take locally.

Public Order Act 1986

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date the Home Secretary last met ministerial colleagues to discuss the Government's response to the public consultation on Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, which concluded in January 2012. [HL1733]

Lord Henley: Home Office Ministers have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Public Order Act 1986

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is their policy that the removal of the word "insulting" from Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 would result in an enhancement of the public's freedom of expression. [HL1734]

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to give their response to the public consultation on Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, which ended in January 2012. [HL1735]

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the approximately 2,500 responses to the public consultation on Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, which ended in January 2012, remain to be (1) opened, or (2) read by a Minister. [HL1736]

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the delay in the publication of a response to the public consultation on Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, they remain committed to freedom of expression. [HL1737]

Lord Henley: The Government are committed to restoring the right to non-violent protest and to protecting individual freedoms. They are also committed to ensuring that the police have the powers they need to maintain public order and protect communities from hate crime.
All responses to the consultation have now been read and Ministers are carefully considering all the issues that have been raised. The Government will publish their response in due course.

Raed Salah

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what legal advice they took before issuing the deportation order for Sheikh Raed Salah. [HL1825]

Lord Henley: The Government do not routinely comment on individual exclusion cases but in this instance the Secretary of State can confirm that a notice of intention to deport was issued against Mr Salah. The Secretary of State cannot comment on legal advice received on this case.

Raed Salah

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Sheikh Raed Salah has been offered or sought compensation for the length of time he was detained on bail in the United Kingdom. [HL1826]

Lord Henley: As a matter of public record Mr. Salah did seek, but later withdrew, a claim for compensation for the time he was in immigration detention. He was not paid compensation.

Riots

Baroness Sherlock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish their formal response to After the riots: the final report of the Riots Communities and Victims Panel, published in March 2012. [HL1960]

Baroness Hanham: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government made a Written Ministerial Statement on Friday 13 July, which I repeated in this House on the same day (Official Report col. 168). This was in response to the Riots Communities and Victims Panel's final report. The Statement set out the measures that the Government and other agencies put in place to rebuild communities following the riots. It also set out the action that the Government are taking forward to address some of the more entrenched issues highlighted in the panel's report.

Roads: Street Names and Numbers

Lord Kinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what powers they have to require (1) domestic and commercial property occupants or owners to display clearly the street numbers of their premises on front entrances, and (2) local authorities to display clearly the names of streets at or near to the entrances of, and exits from, streets and at junctions with other streets; and where those powers exist, what are the relevant provisions in statute. [HL1408]

Baroness Hanham: Issues around the design and location of street names and premises numbering are a matter for local authorities. Local authorities in England and Wales have powers in relation to this under the following statutes: Public Health Act 1925 (Section 19); the Public Health Act 1875 (Section 160, incorporating Sections 64 and 65 of the Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847) and the London Building Acts (Amendment) Act 1939.
The Department for Transport publishes guidance for local authorities on this matter in its Circular Roads 3/93 Street Name Plates and the Numbering of Premises. This contains advice on the design and installation of street name plates and reminds local authorities of the continuing need to maintain a good standard of street name plates and property numbering schemes and to improve existing standards where necessary.
A copy of the circular is being placed in the Library of the House.

Secret Intelligence Service

Baroness Falkner of Margravine: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reports in the Daily Telegraph of 12 July and Civil Service World that Sir John Sawers has publicly spoken of the role of MI6 contacts in alleged assassinations or cyber-warfare against Iran, whether his remarks were cleared by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. [HL1659]

Lord Howell of Guildford: It is the policy of successive UK Governments not to comment on matters of intelligence and national security.

Sudan and South Sudan

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will propose to the United Nations Secretary-General that the United States, Russia and China should be asked to provide evidence from satellite images to confirm or refute South Sudan’s claim that Sudan has bombed South Sudanese territory. [HL1892]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The United Nations (UN) Mission in South Sudan investigated the site of the reported bombing on 20 July. Its initial report suggests that a number of bombs were dropped by the Sudanese Air Force within South Sudanese territory. While denying that the attack took place across the border, the Government of Sudan have claimed that their forces attacked fighters from the Sudanese rebel Justice and Equality Movement operating from within South Sudanese territory.
Any cross-border attacks are a violation of the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 2046, as well as the agreements on peaceful resolution of disputes concluded between the two countries. The UN Security Council will take this into account in determining compliance with Resolution 2046.

Terrorism: Detainees

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many alleged terrorist suspects were detained in the last three years; and how many were convicted. [HL1708]

Lord Henley: The figures requested are shown in the following table.



Financial Year


Number of persons detained




2008/2009


123




2009/2010


78




2010/2011


50


Please note the above figures cover the financial year and include those arrested under S41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. We do not hold more up-to-date figures for 2011/2012; these are due to be published in the annual statistical bulletin in September 2012.



Figures for those convicted under terrorism legislation




Financial Year


Number of persons convicted




2008/2009


17




2009/2010


4




2010/2011


-


Thirteen individuals were charged in the year 2010/2011, two were not proceeded against, and 11 were awaiting prosecution which is why no figure has been inserted in table above.



Figures for those convicted of offences under non-terrorism legislation but where considered terrorism related




Financial Year


Number of persons convicted




2008/2009


8




2009/2010


12




2010/2011


3


The above figures were taken from the last annual statistical bulletin (Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and Subsequent Legislation: Arrests, Outcomes and Stops  Searches) published 13 October 2011 and covers the period from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011. A link to this publication is provided below:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/counter-terrorisrn-statistics/hosb1511 /hosbl 511?view=Binary

Universal Credit

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 17 July (WA 48) on universal credit, how they are going to ensure claimants’ documents used to verify information are delivered safely by post, and at whose expense this will be undertaken. [HL1773]

Lord Freud: Universal credit will be a predominantly digital service, however there remains a need for physical evidence to be verified and in some circumstances that will be done by post. Our current thinking is to provide claimants with a secure freepost address to send in requested evidence.

Visas

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many student visas were issued for students from overseas in the last 12 months; what was the revenue generated from them; and how that sum compares with the revenue generated in the previous three years. [HL1703]

Lord Henley: The number of student visas granted and the revenue generated through student visa applications over the last four years is as follows:



PBS Tier 4/Student visas







2008/09


2009/10


2010/11


2011/12




Income


�34,437,905


�65,059,411


�77,911,191


�70,761,463




Visas issued


235,613


313,314


295,073


226,052


Please note that the income figure for F/Y 2011/12 is based on management information, ahead of formal publication of the UKBA's statement of accounts.
Figures relate to PBS tier 4 student applications and equivalent categories pre-PBS. "Student visit" visas have not been included as income from that endorsement category is not disaggregated from other short-term visitor categories.

Visas

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have been granted visas to enter the United Kingdom to attend the 2012 Olympic Games as (1) participants, (2) media personnel, (3) spectators, and (4) others. [HL1740]

Lord Henley: Where an individual has received accreditation to participate in the Olympics, the requirement for a visa is waived. Up to the end of March 2012, 2,043 visas were issued under the visa endorsement "Visit-Olympic/Paralympic family". It is not possible to identify from visa statistics those who are visiting the Olympic Games under categories (2), (3) and (4) as this would require the examination of individual records, which would incur disproportionate costs.

Visas

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many post-study work visa applications remained undecided at the end of (1) 2009, (2) 2010, (3) 2011, and (4) at present. [HL1849]

Lord Henley: The data requested are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, or produced as part of the UK Border Agency’s standard reports. However, the UK Border Agency publishes statistics on a quarterly and annual basis that cover granted post-study work visa applications. Published statistics regarding post-study work visa applications can be found in the Library of the House and following this link: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration ql-2012/.

Visas: Fishing Fleets

Baroness Butler-Sloss: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many transit visas were granted in 2011 to individuals going to work for British-owned fishing fleets. [HL1822]

Lord Henley: We do not routinely collate data on individuals going to work on British-owned fishing fleets. To obtain this information would require the examination of individual records, and incur disproportionate costs.